Twisted
by TwlghtDrmr
Summary: / / AU \ \ She felt herself hold onto the starflowers tighter, thorns digging into her palms and fingers as warm liquid began to drip down her hands. But still, she remained silent. / / C o n t e s t s h i p p i n g / /
1. Prologue: La Figlia Che Piange

**Twisted**

Prologue: La Figlia Che Piange

_/ / Stand on the highest pavement of the stair – lean on a garden urn – / /_

_/ / weave, weave the sunlight in your hair – clasp your flowers to you with a pained surprise – / /_

_/ / fling them to the ground and turn with a fugitive resentment in your eyes: but weave, weave the sunlight in your hair – / /_

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_. I know this will not remain forever, however it's beautiful ._

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_Summary: / /AU / / So she sheds her ruby-studded gown for that of a peasant life, and travels to the land that holds the starflowers, intent on finding a cure… and accidentally falls in love along the way. / / Contestshipping / /_

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Disclaimer: I do not own "Broken Wings" by Tomoko Tane, or T.S. Elliot's _La Figlia Che Piange_ also known as "The Weeping Girl", or Pokemon.

Hope you like, I took inspiration from _The Six Swans_ in my Brothers' Grimm fairytale book. Hee hee!

So, May, in this story, kind of acts hopefully like a strong heroine. I really hate weak heroines. I didn't want to make her too weak, but she'll still have those moments.

We all do, you know?

So this is AU to the MAAAAX.

But, yeah, I really have no idea how well this is going to turn out, but oh well!!

* * *

May loved the night. Night, the all-encompassing darkness that could hide anybody, a momentary solace from the ever-probing eyes of the world. The ever-watchful eyes of her stepmother were always eyeing May's every move, ready to make a rude and insulting comment, whenever the chance happened upon her. She hadn't really expected her mother dying on her, but then again, nobody could really ever expect that. She'd been fine, and then the next day she was bedridden and sick beyond belief. They sent her to a neighboring country to recover, and before long, a messenger had come to deliver the news – her mother was dead. Her father had been severely distraught after, but still quickly began a search for another wife, assuming his only daughter still needed a motherly influence. May hadn't expected her to come with some extra baggage – that is, her daughter, and now May's sister.

Caroline, as she was called, was a horrendous girl. She was rude, brazen, and pure cruel to May and dear Max, but on her sweetest and best behavior for anybody else that happened to be looking – especially the boys. And May's dislike of the girl was only worsened that she shared the same name as her mother – _Caroline_. Her father was changing, and May knew it was the stupid witch's fault. Charlotte – _May refused to call her "Mother" nonononono_ – was just as bad as her daughter, if not worse for holding half the power in the entire Johto Kingdom, spending large amounts of money on lavish parties in order to boost her popularity with the aristocrats, not caring much about the people of the land.

And then, her father fell ill. As he was dying, Charlotte offered to take up the duties while he recovered. He accepted. He promised to take May and Max to the Sinnoh Kingdom so May could go to their market like she'd always wanted to, and Max to see all the new pokemon he was so interested in.

He died the next day.

May lost faith. Max never did, brotherly devotion the only thing that May had anchoring herself to her now dwindling conviction. May knew it was childish of herself to act like this, and began to brighten a little, her book of folklore her only company, her brother her only companion. And Charlotte, of course, noticed.

So she sent Max away, to the far off Kingdom of Kanto, to stay with the Ketchum Royalty for "lessons", as Charlotte so referred to. May had wanted to cry, kick, scream, _something_, but she knew it was weak of herself. And she couldn't be the weak, pathetic Princess of her prided Johto Kingdom. She had to be strong, for herself, for her brother, for her Kingdom.

And strong, she would be.

* * *

Her breathing sounded harsh, even to her own ears.

May was running through the forest, hot tears running down her face, thick skirts swaying and rushing all around her legs as her feet propelled her forward, before her heel caught into a tree root she hadn't noticed, and May felt the ground suddenly rise up to meet her face. She sputtered for a moment, her silken glove rubbing off the dirt that had gathered upon her face, sticking to the tears that were trailing down her face. She couldn't stop her crying, her muddled up emotions pouring out in a flood, and all she could do was ride it out.

Breathing heavily, she noticed her book had fallen from its place in her bag, sprawled across the ground. She stripped herself of her gloves, throwing them onto the ground, before picking up the familiar lore. It was leather bound, bulky and heavy with thick, weathered pages upon pages of fairytales. Her mother used to read it to her when she was a child, before going to bed. After her mother died, May began to read the stories to Max. He always complained that he was a boy and boys didn't read stories like that, and that he was a mature adult that didn't need to be read to before bed. But she knew different, because after she would begin he would settle against his pillows comfortably and fall asleep only after she'd finished the last word.

Smiling through her tears, she wiped them away with the back of her hand, as she reminisced about the past. Stumbling upwards, one hand leaning against the tree, she pressed forward. Her dress was ripped slightly at the bottom, the bottoms of her shoes caked in mud and stray twigs and leaves, silk gloves having been left behind. It was only a few more steps forward before May reached her destination – the Lake. It had an actual name, but May could never remember it, and always just ended up calling it the Lake. It was a peaceful Eden where she could escape to under the cloak of the night, quiet and tranquil, occasional pokemon floating about – typically Jumpluff. The moon was full above the lake, giving it an ethereal sapphire glow, and May could see it as she approached, closer and closer to the place. She dropped her book back into the bag she'd brought, before letting the bag slip from her hands onto the soft, lush grass that now covered the area, tall trees crowding around the lake. She could see a single pokemon in the middle of the lake, floating gently above it – it was a Butterfree, circling and twirling in spot around the center of the lake, and May couldn't help but think her Beautifly would have looked nicely with it – and then she saw it.

It being a beautiful Milotic that emerged quickly from the water, it's pink and blue tail swishing and twisting next to it, scatting the Butterfree and Jumpluff from around the area, small water droplets flying about everywhere, glinting in the moon's glow, before suddenly – it happened.

The Milotic began to glow, and May rushed forward to see what was happening, before dropping to her knees, her legs unable to hold her weight as she struggled to find the words to describe what was happening. It was as though the Milotic was shedding water, layer upon layer before it revealed nothing but a single human – cloaked in flowing aristocratic robes, as it moved towards the edge of the lake. It was only then that she noticed the young girl sitting at the edge of the lake. May only realized now that her mouth was wide open, and quickly shut it.

The woman's eyes narrowed, her feet touching down against the grass that shifted, gently, under her feet, before they widened.

"May?"

"M-Mom?" May breathed out the simple word, and she was dreaming. She knew she was dreaming. She had to be. Her mother was supposed to be dead.

She was supposed to be _dead_.

"May, May!" Caroline cried, quickly launching herself against her daughter, cradling her in her arms. She felt so alive – her body was warm and smelled just like she used to and May couldn't help but feel the tears prickling against her eyes, and, unable to stop them, they fell rapidly and May felt her arms encircling her mother, clinging onto her for dear life.

"M-Mom?! How is this possible?" She gasped between her sobs, her mother too busy sniffling against her shoulder to respond. After the two had clamed down, May turned to watch her mother, who took a deep breath.

"Do you remember when I was sent away?"

"Y-yes…" May frowned.

"It was Charlotte who did it. She made me sick and then cursed me – into the form of a Milotic."

May's frown deepened. It sounded absolutely preposterous – and strange to hear it coming from her mother's lips. May didn't quite know how to react.

"I know it seems crazy, but… I can't ever return to the castle. I can't even get close to the castle – the underground river leads away from our home. And I can only stay in this form for an hour, before _tick tock_, time is up for me and I turn back into a Milotic." Caroline smiled sadly, tears lining her eyes once again.

"B-but… Dad… he – and Max!" May's brain was having a hard time forming coherent sentences, and she watched as Caroline's eyes grew sad.

"I wish I could have been there when your father fell ill." She gave a bitter smile, and May's heart ached at the prospect of her mother having to watch the only man she loved, be carried away in a casket to the royal burial grounds, all alone.

_Alone._

"Max… Max! He would love to know you're okay…" Caroline quickly cut her off.

"No, I don't want my baby to see me like this…" She watched as May slipped into thought.

"There has to be a way to reverse this!" May sputtered out, and Caroline watched her in surprise, before smiling.

"Well… I'm not well-versed in the art of magic, but…"

"But…?"

"But… they say there is a flower. All it is known as is the "starflower", and is extremely hard to harvest, and is only found in one Kingdom of the world – the Hoenn Kingdom."

"Star…flower…?" May questioned, the terms sounding foreign on her lips for such casual words. Caroline nodded.

"They're very rare flowers imbued with an astounding amount of magical power… however, they must be woven into a shirt that I can put on in my human form."

"That sounds… too easy." May frowned – there was always a catch. Caroline eyed her daughter for a moment.

"Starflowers are extremely hard to harvest, they're painful and sharp to the touch, but from what I hear after you get used to it, it's very easy to work with."

May nodded enthusiastically.

"Then, that's what I'll do!" Caroline stared at her daughter, before smiling softly.

"All right, I would suggest you head to La Rousse, the capital of Hoenn. I hear that's where the most starflowers grow. But, May, there's one other thing."

"Huh?" May had already begun to formulate a list of things she'd need to get to Hoenn.

"You know Charlotte would never allow this – she knows her way around magic, and if you mention anything about going to Hoenn, she would immediately be suspicious."

"Then, I'll just run away." May said easily, uncaring.

"May!"

"What?! It's not like I have anything tying me here, anyway!"

"What about Max?!"

"He's in Kanto, he should be safe…" May bit her lip, starting to get a little anxious. She quickly squashed the feeling.

Caroline sighed at her daughter's stubborn attitude.

"All right, but… there's one other requirement."

"What's that?" May tilted her head to the side, curious.

"You cannot speak a single word while you are weaving a shirt from the starflowers."

* * *

May stared at the pokeball in her hand, and looked at her mother, who smiled in response.

"This feels a little wrong."

"It's fine, it's fine! All you have to do is break the pokeball after you finish the shirt."

"Yeah… but it still feels wrong catching my _mother_ with a _pokeball_." May frowned as Caroline let out a little laugh.

"Oh, May. I'll be a Milotic, it's fine." May paused to stare at the pokeball once again.

"Does this mean I can use you in battles?"

"What?"

"Never mind." May snickered to herself as Caroline stared at her, mouth agape, before joining in her laughter.

"Sure."

May blinked, "Wait, what?"

"I said, sure. I can fight, you know. I dealt with you and your father for ten years of your life, didn't I?"

"Hey!"

"Oh, you know I love you!" Caroline swat her hand up and down carelessly at her daughter's outburst.

Caroline gave May a quick hug, smiling pleasantly as she dropped back into the lake, the water rising and quickly encompassing her form, before it shifted and shaped back into a Milotic. May paused, apprehensive for a moment, the pokeball unusually heavy in her hand, before she let go of her inhibitions and let the pokeball fly from her hand.

* * *

May stared at her closet for a moment, frowning to herself. She had to pack lightly, and she had to leave as soon as possible. Glancing out the window, she could see the sun was at its peak in the sky, indicating that only half of the day remained. She grabbed her rucksack, and dropped all her pokeballs into the smallest pocket in the front, as well as a first aid kit that contained medicine for both humans and pokemon, a blanket, and her favorite plain blue dress with a dropped neckline and a tulle upon tulle layered silken skirt. May wondered briefly how she managed to fit everything in her pack, with room still. She'd kept the cloak her brother had sent her from Kanto, a simply dark blue fabric that was thick for the cool nights that frequented Hoenn, even in the summer, and a large sapphire brooch that pinned the cloak together and it came complete with a hood.

She threw the cloak onto her bed along with her rucksack, digging around in the back of her closet for the spare gold and silver coins she'd been saving up for the most of her life for her trip to Sinnoh – not that it had mattered, anyway.

May frowned as a small pang of guilt filled her heart every time she thought of Sinnoh. Shaking it off quickly, she grabbed a velvet pouch and emptied her savings stash, grabbing a few of her more expensive jewelry – diamond necklaces, bracelets and earrings and her favorite ruby necklace and matching earrings – and dropping them in as well.

It was enough money to last her for a while – granted she didn't end up buying useless items along the way.

May knew she had quite a shopping problem – hell, everybody knew.

But she wasn't going to be the irresponsible princess with an unlimited income – it was time she grew up.

She was going to get through this, no matter what.

Turning back towards her items, she counted off more things she'd need; food, water, pokemon food… All of which were in the kitchen. Fortunately for her, most of the servants in the castle never paid much mind to her whenever she went to get those items. She'd done it frequently as a child, and May was now beginning to be grateful for her insatiable appetite as a child and all the habits that came with it… and a little embarrassed that they weren't surprised that she would try to take food from the kitchen.

That set aside, she glanced down to her rucksack again.

"Call me shallow, but I'm definitely going to miss all my dresses." May muttered unhappily to herself, before turning to her closet, "Maybe I could fit one more dress in…?"

Breathing deeply, she released it slowly as she maneuvered her well-sized closet, grabbing a pair of comfortable shoes and a pair of navy blue silk heels with a bow on the back of the heel, tulle lining the shoe (_to match with her dress, of course_) and began once again for her hunt for another dress, shoes dangling from her hands.

She couldn't quite decide which other one she wanted to bring, and May was starting to wish she knew how to enchant her bags so she could fit more in it. But May had practically failed the enchanting lesson and her tutor had given up after that and May was grateful for it at the time but now she was starting to question her stupidity for not trying harder in that lesson – it was really coming back to bite her in the ass now. Rolling her eyes at the memory of her accidentally blowing up her teacher's chair at her final attempt of enchantment, she turned quickly and grabbed her second favorite dress.

It was an elaborate piece, dark forest green with a strapless corset top and thick skirt lined with tulle and lace, beautiful lace details all along the top and side before reaching the bottom of the skirt that would trail against the floor, skirting against the ground whenever she walked. She easily rolled the dress up, binding it with a quick and basic spell that bound it before dropping it into her backpack. She rushed to the door, peering out suspiciously before walking calmly down towards the kitchen. She snuck in and there weren't any servants in there, lunch having already been served. She grabbed a canteen and filled it with water, before grabbing a few non-perishable food items and a loaf of bread and some berries and an apple, as well as a few packs of pokemon food. Wrapping it and using the binding spell once again, she rushed up with her packed towards her room.

"Oh, May, is it?" May twitched as she heard the familiar snide voice of her sister, a few other snickers indicating she wasn't alone. May turned to gaze at Caroline, package dangling in her hands against her back. Caroline was about May's height, only an inch shorter or so, with dark red hair that, when let down, reached at least mid-back. But it was pinned up against her head; her straight-cut bangs framing her face nicely as they became longer near the sides of her face. She had large, doe-like purple eyes that could have fooled any gullible adult. She had two friends flanked on her sides, girls from the village aristocracy that were clearly only there to suck up to her sister. Caroline was the same age as May – both of them being 18.

"Now, what exactly were you doing in the kitchen? Snagging more food, you stupid pig?" Caroline laughed easily at her clever (or, at least what _she_ thought was clever) insult, and the two girls joined in automatically, well rehearsed in this act.

"No matter how much I eat I won't be as fat as you, Caroline." May sneered back easily, eyeing her sister, "By the way, did you gain a few pounds? That dress certainly isn't hiding it, if that's why you're wearing it."

Caroline seethed, face turning red and May could practically see a temper tantrum coming on – tantrums Caroline was famous for. But her face clamed at an eerie pace, and she simply turned on her heel, clearly no longer wanting to bathe herself in May's presence. May rolled her eyes before turning, clutching the package tightly to her chest.

'Just a little longer, and I'll be out of this place.' May walked with her head held high, unaffected by Caroline's childish attitude.

* * *

The sun was just beginning to set, and May wished that it would move down the horizon faster. She was starting to get antsy and extremely nervous as the time passed by, thousands of Butterfree fluttering violently in her stomach. Beautifly was perched upon May's chair that was turned out and facing the window, noticing May's apparent nervousness. May quickly began looking over her checklist again, having packed a few extra things that she'd wanted in case she ever wanted to mail Max, staring at the list of large and sloppy "X"s next to words.

_Checklist:_

_Dresses X_

_Food X_

_Pokemon Food X_

_Parchment X_

_Pen and Ink X_

_Medicine (First Aid) X_

_Water X_

_Money and Jewels X_

_Spare Pokeballs X_

_Pokemon X _

_Map X_

_Shoes X  
_

May had grabbed all of her pokeballs from the training room where they were stored, not particularly caring she was definitely over the limit of pokemon allowable on one person with her Milotic, Beautifly, Glaceon, Blaziken, Wartortle, Venasaur, and Skitty. Munchlax had been given to Max as a gift for when he left Hoenn, so he'd always have a little piece of home with him. May thought of Max and was overcome with guilt – what if he came back to visit only to find her gone? He'd be out of his mind with worry, and what lies might Charlotte or Caroline feed him…?

May was apprehensive about mailing him, nervous that Charlotte could potentially intercept it somehow. But nonetheless, she'd packed parchment and a pen and ink just in case she changed her mind later. She would consult her mother about it when she was a safe distance from here. She looked towards where Beautifly was, and saw the large, proverbial book of fairytales staring back. She sat up and picked it up, the weight familiar in her hands. She slipped the book into her pack, not wanting to leave her most precious item behind.

The sun was almost gone and past the horizon now, and May felt the anxiety in her stomach begin to rise once again. Her mother would stay in the pokeball tonight (May hated saying it like that) because she'd already been out in her human form for a good hour in the day already. It was strange how she could change at any point in the day back to herself, like it were a one-time token that was replaced at the start of every new day.

May stripped herself of her heavy sea foam green dress for a plain, light brown tunic that was soft against her skin and fell to mid-thigh, and a pair of black tights and shin-high black boots. She placed her pack on her back and draped the cloak around her shoulders, Beautifly removing itself from its perch to land upon her head. May stared out as the sun sank completely down beneath the surface and the pink sky faded to black.

* * *

She moved with ease along the castle walls, already used to the patrol officer's ways, and snuck around towards the stables without much problem. She glanced around for her favorite Rapidash to ride on. The horse pokemon hated being confined to the stables, and May knew all she wanted was to go back to the plains where she belonged. After she got to Hoenn, May would let the poor pokemon go. She grabbed her saddle and a blanket to place upon the pokemon's back, before locating Rapidash. The horse pokemon glanced up sleepily at her, curious. She smiled and whispered it to stay quiet.

"I know you don't like it here… If you come with me, I'll let you go." The pokemon seemed to understand what May was saying, and shuffled its feet in a sort of nervous excitement. Saddling it, May quickly hopped up, reins in her hands, and maneuvered the horse quietly out of the stables, before it began to run in a sprint towards the forest – towards Hoenn.

It was an exhilarating feeling, rushing further and further away from the castle, her cobalt cloak fluttering behind her, Beautifly safely located inside its pokeball. It probably wouldn't have been able to keep up with Rapidash's speed. It flew forward, chasing the wind in the direction of Hoenn, trees rushing in a blur past her as Rapidash leaped over high raised roots and puddles of water that had collected and hadn't evaporated yet. She could barely see the sky above her, high canopied trees thick with leaves blocking her view. Her pack occasionally hit her back as Rapidash jumped, and she could hear her items clink together, muffled slightly by her cloak and the dresses cushioning in the bag.

It would be perhaps a day or two before she reached Hoenn, depending on how many breaks it took. But May didn't care.

All she wanted to do now was to get away.

* * *

May wasn't too surprised to find that it had taken her at least four days to get even near the capital of La Rousse. She'd always been terrible at estimating distances, that had always been Max's strongpoint, not hers. Even so, she had stopped at noon at a small inn that was located at the outskirts of La Rousse. She'd just let Rapidash run off, who at first had been apprehensive about leaving the girl but May simply smiled and shooed the pokemon off, which after a moment it had accepted quite happily. She ate a quick meal before leaving the inn, never having bothered getting a room with the close distance to La Rousse (she hoped her estimation at distance wasn't wrong this time). Wandering through the forest, May had happened upon a patch of prickly flowers.

Starflowers.

Quickly dropping to her knees, she peered at the flowers carefully. They were blue and long and thin, needle looking stalks, rather than flowers. She reached out cautiously to grab one, but quickly pulled back, feeling the flower prick and pull blood. She looked at her finger, a small pinpoint of blood flowing upwards and she wiped it quickly, before glaring at the starflowers.

May reached out again, determined to grab a few. She found that the flowers only pricked you if you tried to grab and pull them from the ground, embedding small miniscule thorns into the skin that were easy to get out, but quite painful. She pulled a small knife from it's casing before swiping a clean cut near the bottom, holding one carefully. Smoothing the stalk from north to south, tip to root, it was smooth and felt like pure satin. If she could just find a seamstress, she could easily make this into a yarn…

"Well, here I was looking for some Linoone but instead I found a pretty girl."

May swiveled her head quickly, clutching the starflowers to her chest, staring as a thickly muscled man appeared from the edge of the trees, grinning at her with intentions May didn't quite want to think about.

* * *

Drew rode faster through the forest, only slightly annoyed with his assistant, or, as he preferred to call him, his babysitter, Harley. Flygon flew faster at Drew's insistence, reaching a good distance from La Rousse before it began to slow. Drew stared forward with an annoyed glare, before a voice caught his attention.

"Well, here I was looking for some Linoone but instead I found a pretty girl." It was a raspy and low voice, clearly male. Flygon floated in the air before Drew nudged it in the direction of the voice. It glided through the air easily, and it was then Drew came upon May. She turned quickly to look at him, as did the burly man.

Sneering, the burly man spoke, "Well, what do we have here? Why don't you go away, I found her first."

The girl looked at him, terrified, and Drew felt sympathy for the female that looked to about his age.

"That's no way to speak to a Prince." Drew snorted, as Flygon landed and Drew jumped off it's back.

"P-p-p-p-p-prince Drew!?" The man stuttered, and Drew assumed that the man had already had multiple run-ins with the law if he was to be this afraid of royalty.

"Yes, that would be me." He replied coolly, not too interested in the idiot.

"Oh, well, I guess I'll be leaving now—"

"Drew, you dumbass where did you go?!" A loud feminine voice yelled through the forest, a deeper voice following (but still seemingly feminine nonetheless) that called his name out as well. The burly man took this as his notice to leave. Drew looked the girl over once. She wore a dark cape that looked like it might have come from the Kanto Kingdom (they were known for producing quality goods – cloaks being the most popular) and starflowers clutched in a white-knuckled grip in her hands. She wore a plain brown tunic with tights and boots, and her brown hair in pigtail that reached a little past her shoulders. She turned to look at him as well, but remained silent.

Drew quirked an eyebrow, "You going to thank me?"

May gave a slight nod of her head to him, her only offer of thanks and acknowledgment. She refused to speak, for even though she had not begun to weave, she refused to take any precautions.

Drew frowned, annoyed, "What's your name?" May didn't respond, and Drew stared at her in frustration.

"Look, are you going to talk at all?" May shook her head vigorously. Drew stared at her.

"What, are you mute?" May glared at the sarcastic comment he sent towards her. Drew glared back.

"DREW!!!" A clearly masculine voice called out, although in a very feminine tendency.

May watched as a man in a green suit adorned with various insignias and crests popped out of the forest, a large Cacturne following him. His hair was long and mauve in color.

"Oh, Harley, I didn't know you were here." Drew responded easily, clearly lying. Harley's face turned red.

"Oh, like hell you didn't! My gosh, do you even _know_ how worried I was?" Harley squealed, and May couldn't help but twitch at his annoying feminine mannerisms. That's when he noticed May, and then his eyes widened.

"Oh my GOD you were meeting a peasant girl?! You're not having an illicit relationship, are you?! You are, aren't you!!? Whatever happened to us, Drew?!" Harley wailed melodramatically, and May was stunned at his sudden outburst.

Following Harley's voice appeared a tall woman in male clothing, wearing a navy blue outfit similar to Harley's. She had long pink hair and light blue eyes, bangs sweeping towards the right across her face. She looked pretty annoyed.

"Drew, honestly. You're a Prince; don't go off running like that. You've got a lot of work!"

"Right, sorry, I was too busy saving this girl, that should make up for that." Drew stated, clearly not at all worried.

"Solidad, he was meeting a girl! A peasant girl!!! I know they're having an illicit relationship, I mean what are the King and Queen going to think?! What are the people going to think?! What ever happened to—"

The woman named Solidad turned to look at May curiously.

"What's your name?" May stared at her, refusing to speak a word.

"Don't bother, she won't say anything." Drew sighed, annoyed with Harley's ranting.

"Oh, and why is that, I wonder…?" Solidad murmured, mostly to herself as she stared at the starflowers in May's hands.

May felt herself hold onto the starflowers tighter, thorns digging into her palms and fingers as warm liquid began to drip down her hands.

But still, she remained silent.

* * *

There you are, the prologue. I really, really, _really_ shouldn't be starting a new story right now, but you know what? OH WELL!!

I hope this wasn't too confusing….

And I hope it wasn't too wordy.

Let's see what happens in chapter one soon, yeah?

OK!

Oh, and a happy early Valentine's Day. I'll… maybe post a special.

Maybe.

Anyway, tell me what you think!! Should I continue or just RIP THIS STORY DOWN AND DELETE IT??? :) Feedback appreciated!!!


	2. Chapter 1: The Seamstress

**. t w i s t e d .**

Chapter 1: The Seamstress

_/ / the moon casts / /_

_/ / a sad premonition / /_

_/ / how far does it continue? / /_

* * *

_I have a sad p r e m o n i t i o n_

* * *

So to be honest, this chapter has been written for like, half a year now. Like, the full thing. All six thousand ish plus words lol of course, it's probably been revised, deleted, cut and pasted and revised some more over ten or fifteen times. I just haven't been satisfied with some parts, and putting it down and coming back to it to re-revise it has done wonders for me. Although it's not perfect in the way I want it to be, I'm pretty satisfied with this chapter. It's mostly just information and stuff, nothing really phenomenal happens in this chapter to be honest lol I just felt like I needed to establish some more things before I really start getting' into the real shit hahaha!

Although I do realize that _Gothika_ is not finished yet, I decided to post this chapter anyways because there's only one chapter left for _Gothika_ (lol it's pretty much done anyways) and also because this chapter has been sitting on my hard drive for over six or so months now, and I'm pretty satisfied with this chapter now. I'm also working on the next chapter of _The Sunday List of Dreams_, but that is coming along ah, very slowly lol.

Thanks for all the reviews encouraging me to keep this story up! I hope you'll grow to love this story as much as _The Sunday List of Dreams_ and _Gothika_!

You're all in for a long one here, so I hope you enjoy! :D

* * *

_"Don't bother, she won't say anything." Drew sighed, annoyed with Harley's ranting._

_"Oh, and why is that, I wonder…?" Solidad murmured, mostly to herself as she stared at the starflowers in May's hands._

_May felt herself hold onto the starflowers tighter, thorns digging into her palms and fingers as warm liquid began to drip down her hands._

_But still, she remained silent._

* * *

May was curious as to where the three strangers were taking her, the ones named Solidad, Harley, and the Prince, Drew. She was sure they wouldn't have any intention of taking her to the castle – after all, she was just another peasant girl lost in the forest in their eyes, and had now established (or assumed) that she was mute as well.

"Where do you live, girl?" Harley asked, in a clipped tone. May rolled her eyes lightly and turned her face away from him, and she could practically feel the boy seething behind her, and could hear his grinding teeth as he grumbled to himself to calm down.

"Why don't you show us where you live, dear?" Solidad turned to look at May, smiling, and the towering gates of La Rousse growing taller and closer as they stretched towards the sky. Each tower was a few hundred feet of another, soldiers with pikes and dressed in gleaming armor carefully watching the gate doors. A few large fighting type Pokemon strolled by their human companions, wearing caps and crests as well, indicating their rank. Soldiers sat at the entrance, eyeing papers and letting other people pass, a long line of carts and peasants stretching a few feet as people waited for passage. A few soldiers, presumably generals, sat on the backs of Rapidash and Ponyta, and May watched all this for a moment, before stopping.

Solidad blinked, looking confused. Harley stopped as well, giving May an annoyed look, while Drew paused and simply turned his head, mouth straight but eyes curious. May frowned at Solidad, who turned fully towards her, and began to shake her head.

"Hmm? You do live in La Rousse, don't you?" Solidad furrowed her brows. She watched as May shook her head once again.

"Then, what are you doing here?" Solidad pressed, already knowing May wouldn't be able to give an answer.

"What's the point in asking these questions, Solidad? She's not going to answer them, she's a freaking mute!" Harley exclaimed, patience wearing thin. Solidad glared angrily at him, and May rolled her eyes again, looking off distantly towards the side, holding the starflowers closer to her chest.

"So you're not from here, are you, now?" Solidad started again, and May turned simply to nod her head. Drew watched the far-off expression on May's face, eyebrows gathering slightly downwards. Solidad made a face, pursing her lips as she thought.

"Well, what are you going to do…?" Solidad asked, more to herself than towards May. Harley growled.

"How 'bout we just drop her off in La Rousse's main square and she can figure that out herself?"

"Look, Harley, if you're that annoyed why don't you just go away?" Solidad gave a strained smile, her own patience on its last thread. She tapped her foot on the ground, a sign of irritability, whilst crossing her arms across her chest.

"Yeah, Harley, why don't you go back to the castle?" Drew deadpanned, an annoyed glare on his face. Harley quickly produced fake tears, before rushing off towards the castle, past the lines of peasants, shrieking the entire way. People in line jumped, startled at the man's cries, tears and hysteria.

"You're so _mean_, Drew!"

May felt herself twitch, mouth in a tight line.

"Oh, I know! Why don't you come work for me? I could use an extra hand." Solidad smiled, and May stared at her blankly for a moment, not quite sure what to say.

"Wait a min—Solidad! You can't just go deciding that for yourself!" Drew hissed.

"Well, if I pay her from my pocket, I'm sure the King and Queen won't mind. Besides, you'll put in a good word, right?" Solidad smiled at Drew cheerfully, although Drew could clearly see the underlying threat – and began to grumble to himself.

May couldn't help but find it strange the Prince's assistant was more in command than Drew himself – but she could see how close they were. Even with that strange Harley boy, no matter how much of a complete and total idiot she thought he was.

"Well then, that's settled! Shall we go?" Solidad smiled at May once again, before the two turned and began to head towards the gate, once again.

And May couldn't help but smile a little herself.

* * *

"So, you're the one Solidad wants as an assistant, hm?" May felt herself break into a cold sweat as she gazed at the floor, in the royal throne room. She could feel the eyes of various dukes and lords, their wives' faces hidden behind luxurious lace fans, faces made up with thick rouge and powder. May simply nodded politely, her mouth shut tight. She knew how these courts worked – she'd grown up in the royal court, and she hadn't forgotten a single thing her mother had drilled into her head since she was a small child. May noted slightly to herself, almost pleased, that she would know just how to deal with these types of people.

"I'm sorry, she's mute so she cannot speak." Solidad replied, voice polite yet regal and commanding. May could hear a hushed murmur throughout the room, and May knew they were talking about her. She also knew the murmurs weren't speaking well of her. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes or snort.

"Ah, I see! …Although I am worried about letting a mute work with us, I suppose it wouldn't hurt… After all, if you think she's good, then I don't see why not, Solidad." The King gave a slight laugh, and May noted the King sounded quite friendly, if not slightly discriminatory towards mute people. She mentally sighed in relief. She let out the breath she'd been holding as she followed Solidad out of the throne room. Glancing back over her shoulder discreetly, she saw Drew watching her closely. She didn't like the way he was watching her… it was like he was staring straight through to her soul. May quickly turned her head back to stare at the ground and Solidad's feet as they walked further down the hallway. She'd have to be careful of Drew, unless she wanted to get caught.

The two headed down long, stone corridors decorated with elaborate tapestries, strung in red and yellow, tassels in gold and silver. Large, thick wooden frames held oil paintings of previous Kings and Queens, the occasional family painting here and there. The halls twisted and turned, and May found herself heading up a large, curling stone staircase before finally reaching a hallway, two doors on each side with a large, dark mahogany double door etched in gold situated straight down the hall from where she stood.

"That's the Prince's room. Here, you can stay in this room." Solidad pointed to the first room on the left. "My room is the one next to it. Harley's is across from mine. That room… well, it's mostly Drew's study, but he never really uses it." Solidad laughed lightly. May smiled, already coming to enjoy Solidad's company. Solidad quickly turned the knob to the door, and inside was a modest room, a plain bed in the middle, a few night tables flanking it, a writing desk with a large window above it and a few quills and ink bottles on it – as well as a dark wooden armoire, and an extra door leading to a bathroom.

"The bathrooms here are circulated by magic – it's really nice, there's always hot water!" Solidad joked, as they opened the door to the bathroom. "We'll get you some nice oils and soaps, and a maid will be here to get you clean towels. She'll also get your clothes to clean – " May nodded, panic settling in her stomach as she thought of where to hide her dresses she'd brought. May mentally began to slap herself in the face at her stupid and shallow decision to bring those dresses and shoes. Solidad noticed the look on May's face.

"Unless, that is, you don't want her touching your things…" Solidad started, tone slightly confused. May almost began to nod frantically, but realized this would seem strange so instead, simply shook her head no. She needed to fit in as much here as possible, without being noticed.

She couldn't afford to be noticed.

"Oh, all right then! Although you're working for me, the King offered to pay you since technically, you'll be working for the King if you're working for me. See the chain of command, here? Your pay will start out at 30 silver coins a week, but when you get more comfortable here and start working jobs, I'm sure it'll rise. Just work hard, 'kay?" Solidad smiled and pat May on the shoulder, and May smiled and nodded in response.

"All right, perfect! Now then, do you know how to read or write?" Solidad questioned, not wanting to assume that the girl couldn't – although it would be quite rare if she could. Only aristocratic or royal families could afford to teach their children – and even then, the boys were usually the ones taught, not the girls.

May shook her head no, already knowing that if she said yes, she would attract unneeded attention.

"Oh, ok that's what I thought. That's okay! You can run messages in the castle for me, okay? Harley's a terrible messenger, he always ends up getting sidetracked, and always complains and never wants to leave Drew's side." Solidad sighed, a finger to her forehead. May's smile broadened for a moment. Solidad stared at her for a moment, before continuing.

"Perhaps, we can teach you how to read and write? After all, it'd be a useful skill and since you're probably going to be here a while," Solidad smiled sympathetically – but May wasn't quite sure why, "It would probably be to your benefit to learn to read and write." Solidad paused, thinking to herself for a minute, before nodding at this and clapping her hands together enthusiastically.

"All right, it's decided then! I'll teach you how to read and write." May gulped, not quite nervous, but rather knew she was going to be quite bored for the time she had to "learn" how to read and write.

Solidad then excused herself, noting that dinner would be about when the sun was halfway down the horizon. May nodded and as the door clicked shut, she let go of the breath she hadn't quite realized she'd been holding in. She turned and opened her pack, placing the few stacks of starflowers she'd gathered on the writing desk, staring at them for a moment, before her hand fell to rest on the chair in front of her. A cool breeze was flowing in from the window, ruffling her hair, shifting the starflowers on her desk. The sun was falling steadily in the sky, barely touching the horizon.

* * *

May sat down on her bed, staring at the starflowers on her desk and began to question where exactly she could find a seamstress that could weave the starflowers into yarn. She was sure she could find one in the palace somewhere – and most certainly in the city if there was none in the palace. She bit her lip nervously, worried as to how she would be able to communicate with people. May also began to worry as to how she was going to get around the castle, it was large – far larger than her own – and it seemed like one big maze to her.

She wasn't sure if she would make a better messenger than Harley did.

Pulling the pokeballs from her rucksack, she released her mother (she still found it strange to put it like this) from the pokeball into the bathtub, water already in it. She watched as the familiar light surrounded her body and she shed her skin, falling off in waves like water. Caroline smiled at her as her eyes opened up to stare into May's.

"May, you haven't even started weaving those flowers yet – you can talk." Caroline whispered, laughing lightly.

"Oh, thank goodness!" May breathed a loud sigh, her tense body relaxing.

"When you get the starflowers made into yarn – that is when you must stop speaking."

"All right." May nodded, before turning her face downwards. "But how am I going to find a seamstress? Everyone here already believes I'm mute."

"Why don't you ask that Solidad girl?"

"Wha — how do you know about her?"

"Oh, honey I can hear everything from the pokeball." Caroline gave an airy laugh.

"I suppose you're right… I should ask Solidad… But how…" May sighed; thoughts filled with nothing but worry. Caroline watched May with a gentle look on her face.

"I'm sorry for having pulled you into this." Caroline started somberly, an unusually out-of-character tone for her, and May looked at her in shock.

"No it's fine! You're my mother, I have to help you!" May replied, voice strong.

"Oh, you're so cute! I'm so lucky to have you as a daughter!" Caroline squealed, grabbing May in a frantic hug.

"M-mom!" May cried out, pouting.

Caroline laughed lightly, and as her face settled, she simply stared softly ahead, melancholy lingering lightly in her eyes.

* * *

May peeked out her room, the sun now having set halfway. Harley was just leaving his room, and he looked up directly at May. His face quickly twisted into a look of pure annoyance.

"_Oh_, well if it isn't the little mute girl." Harley sneered, and May couldn't help but see a striking resemblance between him and her stepsister, Caroline. Maybe not in their looks, but certainly in the way they acted.

May turned her head away haughtily, before closing her door and walking down the stairs. She knew how to deal with people like Harley as well as how to deal with a royal court. She turned back to her original thoughts; she'd already hidden most of her items – only keeping the small pouch of coins on her that also held her pokeballs. She'd hidden the more expensive and incriminating things that she'd brought with her behind a large loose stone underneath her writing desk. Her other, less incriminating items were left in her rucksack that she'd thrown into her armoire.

In May's hand were a few pieces of starflower, and May was intent on finding Solidad to question her about a seamstress. Solidad was heading up the stairs, as May was heading down, and she quickly pat Solidad's arm, who looked up curiously from a thick packet of documents that were in her hands.

"Yes, dear?" May wondered if all they were going to call her now was 'girl' or 'dear'.

May quickly pointed to the starflowers, and to her shirt, as if implying a conversion. Solidad watched carefully, and nodded.

"So, you want to make the starflowers into a shirt?" She started, cautiously and May nodded her head.

"Well, that will have to become yarn first… Oh—you want a seamstress!" Solidad exclaimed as all the puzzle pieces clicked into place. May grinned and nodded.

"All right, there's a seamstress in the palace, we can pay her a visit tomorrow, ok? She's very nice." May smiled as Solidad began to explain various things about the castle and its inhabitants, as the two head down the stairs for dinner.

"…So, what exactly should we call you?" Solidad questioned, frowning to herself. "If you can't speak or write, how do we know what to call you? After all, it's not like we can just keep calling you 'girl' or 'dear' forever."

May tilted her head curiously.

"Hmm… how about I just throw out some names and you nod yes or no, ok?" May nodded.

"All right… how about… Cynthia? No? Um… Lana? Ok… how 'bout… April?" May paused for a moment, but quickly shook her head and pointed upwards, as if indicating more or next.

"Huh? April? Up? Um…" Solidad frowned, eyebrows furrowing once again as she tried to interpret May's complicated game of charades.

"Ah – does it have something to do with the months?" May nodded enthusiastically, and Solidad grinned, "I'm getting pretty good at this, huh?"

"So then… if by pointing up you mean the month above April on the calendar, right? So, March?" May shook her head, and then pointed downwards instead.

"Down? Ah – if it isn't March, then… is it… May?" Solidad pressed a finger to her chin, and May nodded enthusiastically while clapping her hands happily.

"So your name is May, huh?" May turned to gaze towards the emerald optics of Prince Drew. His right hand hung limp to his side, while his left hand was casually hanging onto the sword fastened tightly against his hip.

May nodded apprehensively.

"Huh, what an average name." He snorted, looking away before continuing on his way to the royal dining hall. May frowned, a nasty look appearing on her face that easily reflected in her eyes.

"Oh, don't mind Drew. He's always like that."

May harrumphed lightly in her mind, arms crossed against her chest, before swiftly turning on her heel and following Solidad towards the kitchen. After grabbing some food, May headed up the stairs to her bedroom, not quite wanting to eat with anybody. She sat at her desk, chin in her hand and plate virtually untouched as she watched the sky faded from vibrant oranges, yellows, and mellow pinks, to a darkened navy and finally, to black.

* * *

May awoke early the next day. The sun was halfway pulling into the sky, when May got up and out of bed. She took a quick bath before pulling on her usual clothes, the ones she'd washed the night before and had left up to dry over night. Seeing as how she didn't have any other clothes, she'd decided that she should at least keep what she could wear clean. The cloth was a little stiff from drying in the air, but comfortable nonetheless. May wondered what she should do now – she doubted Solidad was awake yet, and she wasn't quite sure if she could go get breakfast yet. She glanced out the window again – the bottom of the sun was just now barely touching the horizon.

May stood from her bed. She wandered over to her door, keeping the small pouch of coins and her pokeballs attached to her side, hidden under her tunic, before opening the door and peering outside. All the doors were closed like usual, as May wandered down the hallway. She knew the way to the kitchen already, thankfully, so May wasn't too worried about getting lost. She could only remember the way in and out of the castle from her room, and to the kitchen, throne room, as well as a few other small rooms in the castle. She walked down the stone stairs, the sound of her footsteps reverberating off the walls. It seemed too loud, until she started nearing the kitchen. May could hear the sound of people talking, and the smell of food getting stronger as she approached the doors to the kitchen.

There were two main eating areas in the castle that May had noticed as the other day, as she'd taken mental note of what she'd seen of the castle and turning it into the start of the castle's layout in her head. One main large room, for the King and Queen, their children, royalty, nobles, and others held with high status, and another one filled mostly with various large tables, designated for most of the higher-class servants. This included Solidad, and Harley, as well as a few other higher-ranking servants.

May didn't know where the low-class servants ate, but all she knew was that she never saw any of them in the eating area. May opened the door and peeked her head into the kitchen. There was a large amount of hustle and bustle in there, chefs and other cooking hands running about frantically, as they got ready for breakfast.

May entered the kitchen, and was greeted by a few of the cooking hands, to which May nodded in return. She gave them all small smiles, before grabbing some bread as well as a few fruits to eat for breakfast. She walked into the main eating area, noticing a few hands already eating. She sat down at a table by herself, thinking to herself.

Today, Solidad was supposed to take her to a seamstress. Hopefully she would be able to weave the starflowers into yarn. If so, May could finally start weaving a shirt. May thought about this for a moment, before realizing something. She'd forgotten to bring any sort of tools to weave the shirt with!

May felt panic bubbling inside of her. She'd forgotten one of the most important things ever – needles for knitting with. May gulped, staring at her breakfast. She knew how to knit, yes – basic shirts and such were hard and time consuming, but she knew how to do it. She just didn't have the tools to make it with.

May looked up briefly, praying to any and every god out there that the seamstress would have knitting needles, and be kind enough to lend them to her.

"Oh, you're already here! I was wondering where you went." Solidad sat down across from May, startling her out of her desperate praying attempt. Solidad laughed at this as she placed a chunk of bread in her mouth.

"I'm sorry, did I startle you?" May shook her head at this, smiling at Solidad brightly. Solidad gave her a soft smile in return.

"You seem much happier today, than yesterday. I'm glad!" May blinked at Solidad's words, before nodding to Solidad and smiled even wider. May liked Solidad before, but now she was starting to like her even more. She seemed kind and mature, unlike that Harley boy.

"Oh, Solidad! …Oh, and _you_, the little _mute_ girl." Harley squealed loudly when he saw Solidad, until his eyes fell on May, his voice turning sour when he saw her. May rolled her eyes at him, before turning back to her food, intent on ignoring him. May figured that the best way to deal with him would be to ignore him. Harley pouted angrily at being ignored. He sat down next to Solidad, who nodded at him in greeting.

"So, what's the plan today, Solidad?" Harley started, turning to look at her.

"Hmm, do you think you can look after Drew by yourself, today? I've got to show May around the castle."

"May? Who's May?" Harley questioned, confused. Solidad rolled her eyes, before pointing at the girl across from her. Harley turned to look at May, eyes shocked.

"Why are you calling her May?" Harley questioned, staring at May.

"Because that's her name. She told me – or, well, we kind of decided on it yesterday." Solidad responded, and Harley pursed his lips together, while crossing his arms.

"Well, whatever. Since Solidad has to train you, that means I get Drew all to myself today!" Harley squealed, fanboying as soon as Drew's name left his lips.

May simply shook her head at him, as if she pitied him. Solidad, in response, laughed at this. May turned back to her food, ignoring Harley's loud ranting and Solidad's calm responses for the moment. She thought about her mother, her brother, and the starflowers. And for a split second, she thought about Drew, too.

* * *

"This room is reserved for scholars. The one across from it is reserved for warlocks, witches, alchemists, you know, those people. The room next to it is reserved for mages who use magic to help keep an eye on the castle walls and borders. That room over there is a training hall for pokemon and their trainers. Oh, and that room is for – "

May's head was spinning from all the information Solidad was giving her. She attempted to pick at all the information and sort it out – but the most important parts she stored away in her brain were the places she'd visited, and what they looked like. The castle was huge – it was daunting in a sense, having to be a messenger in this place. It was like a small city itself. May attempted to piece together a mental map of the castle. She was doing pretty well so far, if she had to say so herself. She followed Solidad closely, glancing at doors and into various rooms.

"This way leads to the low-class servant quarters. I don't think you'll be going there too often, though, so I'm not going to lead you down there." Solidad pointed at a large set of stairs leading down, before moving on. May glanced at the stairs once more, her gaze lingering, before jogging to catch up to Solidad.

"Well, that about completes the tour for the castle. The only thing you'll probably be doing for me, other than being a messenger, will probably just be chores and the like. If I need you and you're not around, I'll call you with my Butterfree… Oh, and that reminds me…" Solidad dug around in the small pouch hanging from her side for a moment, before pulling out a badge. It was silver and had a crest engraved on it. May studied it for a moment, as Solidad put it in her hand. The crest was of the royal family – that much May knew. In the center was an oval shaped green stone.

"It's a badge – you have to wear it on your clothes so people can recognize who you are. Anyways, if I need you and you happen to not be around, I'll send my Butterfree or Pidgeot for you. Don't worry though, it'll probably only be for emergencies." Solidad noted, nodding assuredly.

"You'll be with me most of the day, but if we finish business early, you can do whatever you like with the remainder of the day!" Solidad smiled at May brightly, who nodded in return, pinning the silver badge onto her clothes.

"Oh, we should probably get you more clothes too, huh? Don't worry; we'll have the seamstress make you your uniform when we go see her. In fact, let's go now, since we're pretty much done! Her area is all I have left to show you!" Solidad turned and walked briskly forward, as May attempted to catch up in return. Solidad kept a steady stream of conversation as they rounded corners to the remaining area that May had yet to see.

May glanced up at Solidad, who was talking enthusiastically. It felt almost as though she were talking to herself, seeing as how May couldn't respond back to her. Solidad stopped her talking briefly to glance at May, smiling at her.

"It feels a little weird just talking like this, since you can't respond." Solidad laughed at this easily, as they rounded one last corner and arrived at a door. Solidad knocked, before turning the knob and swinging the door open.

"Lenora, you there?" Solidad walked in, May following her, glancing around. She pulled the starflowers from her small pouch, holding them gingerly in her hands. They'd managed to prick her hands multiple times now, but May noticed that she had started to somewhat get used to the feeling.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm here, 'n the back!" A friendly, slightly accented voice called out, and Solidad led May amongst the various spindles and yarns placed on tables.

"I've brought someone with me. Her name is May, and she was wondering if you could spin yarn out of starflowers. Oh, and she needs a uniform, too." Solidad pointed to May, who bowed in respect. Lenora laughed at this.

"Aren't ya the polite one, bowin' to me like that!" Lenora guffawed loudly, and May smiled at her, taking a good look at the woman. She had dark blue hair, pulled back by a dark red and light red-checkered cloth. Her hair rose up in what May could only describe as a large poof. She was dark skinned with pretty dark cobalt eyes and a large smile. She was a large, kind looking woman. May noted that her talking was a little strange, though.

"Now then, May, ya want some yarn outta starflowers now, do ya?" May nodded, handing Lenora the starflowers in her hand to her.

"Hm? You sure are a quiet one, aren't cha?" Lenora looked a little curious, and Solidad easily interjected.

"She's mute, actually." Lenora nodded, a look of understanding passing on her face.

"Well, you're welcome 'ere whenever ya want!" Lenora smiled at May, who in turn got the feeling that Lenora acted a lot like a mother.

"Now then… I can spin these into yarn, yeah, but it won't be a lot. Ya didn't get very many starflowers, dear!" Lenora laughed loudly, and May mentally smacked herself on her head. Of course, she would need to get more starflowers! May then mentally groaned. Starflowers were only growing outside of the city walls. She would have to go the next time she had the chance.

May shook her head, pointing to the starflowers and then at the spindle. Lenora glanced back and forth, before nodding, a large grin on her face.

"I see, I see, you still want the yarn, huh? Well, if ya get more starflowers, I'd be happy to make ya more yarn!" Lenora quickly got to work on spinning the flowers into yarn. May watched, fascinated, as the plant turned from spiny and prickly, to smooth and soft yarn. She held the thick bundle of yarn in her hands, a smile spreading on her face.

"Now, do ya even have any knitting needles to make whatever ya need?" Lenora peered at May's face, which in turn caused her to shake her head vigorously, looking very sad. Lenora laughed at the look on May's face, before patting the girl on her head. She turned and dug around for a moment, before pulling out two needles.

"Here ya go, dear. Ya can keep 'em! Think of it as a gift from me, to you!" Lenora pat May's head once more, who nodded and bowed in response, and Lenora guffawed at this once more, still not quite understanding why May bowed. Lenora fussed around a few more minutes, pulling out tape and taking down May's measurements. She assured the girl the uniform would be done in a few days.

"Thanks for your help, Lenora." Solidad smiled, in which Lenora smacked Solidad hard on the back in return, laughing all the while.

* * *

It was getting dark out. May stared at the window once more from her writing desk, yarn and needles placed next to her, a bare plate to her right. Her chin settled itself in her hand, as she leaned against her desk, thinking. It seemed that was all she did as of recent – think. About anything and everything. Her mother, the starflowers, her yarn, the shirt, the curse, her step mother and step sister, her brother, Drew (who somehow managed to sneak into her thoughts, much to her chagrin), Solidad, Lenora, this castle, the night sky, the differences between Johto and Hoenn, and hell, sometimes even Harley popped into her head.

She sighed, before getting up and pulling a pokeball from her pocket. She filled the bathtub up completely, before releasing her mother from the confines of the small orb. Once again the water fell from her body and before May appeared her mother, who opened her eyes and smiled brightly at her daughter.

May held up the yarn and knitting needles. Caroline breathed out a heavy sigh, almost as if a burden had been lifted from her shoulders. Caroline smiled sadly at her daughter, who blinked at the look.

"From now on, you cannot speak, you know this, right?" Caroline questioned once again, and May nodded at this easily.

Caroline studied May quietly for a moment.

"Oh, May. You've grown up so much since I last saw you." Caroline sighed, before smiling at her daughter with a somewhat melancholy, yet nostalgic twinkle in her eye.

May blushed at this, pouting. Caroline laughed.

"I know, I know. I'm getting cheesy, aren't I?" Caroline's voice faded to a whisper, as she watched her daughter closely.

"… Sometimes…." Caroline started, before stopping abruptly. May looked at her mother curiously, who, in response, simply shook her head, as if she were trying to get rid of what she was going to say from her mind.

"Never mind! It's nothing. …So, this Drew boy, he seems kinda cute, don't you think so?" May turned bright red at this question, and shook her head vehemently at this comment.

"What, he isn't? I think he's just shy, acting the way he does!" Caroline protested, giggling as May's head shook even harder.

"Now, now, May. Don't be so shy about it! What does he look like? I've only heard his voice, but I bet he's super cute!" May rolled her eyes at this, shaking her head and letting out a quiet sigh.

"Oh, come on!" Caroline whined, pouting as May shook her head at her mother's childish antics.

Despite this, May smiled knowingly to herself. It was nice, this atmosphere. It was nice, being able to talk to her mother like this again. The two fell silent, before turning to look out the window in the bathroom. The city of La Rousse spread out beneath her window. In the far distance she could see the mountains, and beyond that, was Kanto.

May stepped out of the bathroom, before placing her mother's pokeball safely inside her pouch. She stood at her writing desk, staring at the paper and quills on the wooden table. She sat down slowly, before picking up the quill, dipping it into the ink, and began to write.

_Dear Max…_

* * *

So, if you played Black and White, or watch the anime, you should know that Lenora (Her JAP name is Aloe) is the gym leader in Nacrene City. If I recall correctly, I think the original Japanese version gave her an accent, or something like that. So I tried to reflect that in the writing, but oh my GOD for some weird reason it was really hard! I felt like I was trying to make her gangster, or some stereotypical southerner or something stupid like that. Like, what I don't even –

I thought I'd tell you all… this is probably the longest chapter I have ever written, in my entire life. Holy shit. If I had written this all out, I'd probably be out of commission forever with my right hand. It's a whole fourteen pages in Word… Of course on FF the chapter will probably seem super short. Sigh!

And of course, when I came in to edit it... this chapter feels so short! It makes me sad. :(


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